By Sean O'Driscoll
Senior Crime and Courts Reporter
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A Florida judge has made history by wearing a virtual reality headset to examine an alleged crime scene.
Judge Andrew Siegel agreed to a defense request that he wear the headset to review a wedding venue where the owner allegedly pulled a gun on rowdy guests.
Why It Matters
As virtual reality technology advances, it could offer a more immersive experience in courtrooms, beyond the traditional CCTV and photos.
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What To Know
Broward County Judge Andrew Siegel used a virtual reality headset, supplied by the defense, to view a wedding reception from the perspective of the owner, Miguel Albisu, who is on trial for aggravated assault. He is accused of waving a gun at guests at Southwest Ranches wedding venue in 2023 and was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Albisu has pleaded not guilty and has said he was acting in self-defense.
Newsweek sought email comment from his attorney, Ken Padowitz, on Friday.
The defense team hired an artist to display the wedding venue using an Oculus Quest 2 VR headset.
Albisu is seeking to use Florida's stand-your-ground law, which allows property owners to use guns to defend themselves, their family and their property.
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Defense expert Bill Engler also donned a virtual reality set with the judge and showed the alleged crime scene during the December 17 hearing. Defense and prosecutor lawyers also wore virtual reality headsets during Engler's testimony.
"This is when he pulls the gun out, when he is backed up against the bar," Engler told the court, according to an online report by Local 10 TV in Florida.
What People Are Saying
Attorney Ken Padowitz told Local 10: "It may be the first time in the United States that virtual reality was admitted into a criminal hearing."
Padowitz, who likes to use technology in court and in 1992, as a prosecutor, introduced the first computer animation into evidence in a Florida court, told Local 10: "It became one of the first case laws in the United States upholding the use of computer animation in a criminal case. Since that time, we have evolved to this point where our abilities far exceed what we did in 1992.
"So, what we are doing here today is not only did we show the judge a computer animation of what occurred prior to my client having to pull out that gun in self-defense for his life, but we also showed it in a virtual reality."
What Happens Next
The case will resume in February before Siegel.
If the judge is satisfied with the technology, it may be used by a jury for the first time. However, the issue will have to be litigated in court before Siegel makes a decision.
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